Abstract
Introduction: With the increase of lithium battery devices, including electronic cigarettes and battery power banks, there has been a steady rise in burn injuries secondary to device malfunction. These devices may cause chemical or flame burns. Our aim was to identify and classify epidemiological trends of explosions from lithium battery devices across the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods: A review of the NSW Burn Injury Service (SBIS) database from January 2005–December2019, together with medical records from the burns units at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW), the Concord Repatriation General Hospital (CRGH) and the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) was conducted. All patients who suffered a burn secondary from a lithium battery device were included and data was extracted on mechanism of injury, severity of injury and management. This study was approved by the ethics committees of CHW, RNSH and CRGH [2020/PID00179]. Results: Of the 24 patients identified, six were paediatric and 18 were adults. The majority were male (7:1) with a mean age of 29.0 (+/- 16.6 years). The mean total body surface area burnt was 2.5% (+/- 0.9) [range 0.1–21.0%]. The majority occurred after 2014 and involved spontaneous explosions. Their injuries ranged from partial to full thickness burns with flame being the most common type (n=15). Three quarters of the cases (n=18) occurred in a home setting. Conclusions: Lithium battery device explosions can result in a mix of burn depth injuries from flame, contact and electrical, or chemical burns. Consumers need to be made more aware of the potential risks associated with use of lithium battery powered devices.
Highlights
With the increase of lithium battery devices, including electronic cigarettes and battery power banks, there has been a steady rise in burn injuries secondary to device malfunction
This study was approved by the ethics committees of Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW), Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) and Concord Repatriation General Hospital (CRGH) [2020/PID00179]
Lithium battery device explosions can result in a mix of burn depth injuries from flame, contact and electrical, or chemical burns
Summary
With the increase of lithium battery devices, including electronic cigarettes and battery power banks, there has been a steady rise in burn injuries secondary to device malfunction. These devices may cause chemical or flame burns. Short circuiting is a common concern among many batteries that can lead to dramatic changes in the electrochemical structure of the battery resulting in local heat generation and transfer.[4] This ‘thermal runaway’ phenomenon is an exothermic event that leads to elevated temperatures up to 80 °C which cracks the electrode material and surrounding structures impeding detection of temperature differences and leading to risk of fire and explosion.[5,6] There are safety measures in place for some devices such as pressure burst discs, shutdown separators, and one-shot fuses.[7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
